Google has recently released the second Developer Preview for Android 14, allowing app developers to test the latest updates for the upcoming version of the OS. While the first one back in February gave users a glimpse of what improvements were coming our way, the second one just topped it off with even more exciting changes – from some serious security and privacy upgrades to a brand new API which will lessen our reliance on passwords with its magical passkey sign-in feature.
Android 14 could put an extra layer of security on your Galaxy phone
Android 14 not only has the same old username/password combos, but it's also coming better-equipped than ever: say hello to Credential Manager, which should be similar to Samsung Pass. This helpful API provides a secure way to sign in using various methods, from passkeys to federated logins.
The first Android 14 preview already featured all that, but Google's spiffed it up with some slick new UI improvements based on all the feedback they got. Third-party developers like Dashlane (a password manager that claims to never have been breached) are already hot on the trail of integrating passkey sign-in tech as soon as Android 14 officially launches later this year.
Furthermore, Android 14 could deliver enhanced privacy by giving users more control over how their information is shared. Now, with the improved photo picker (initially released in Android 13), apps won't have free reign over your entire media collection. Instead, you can decide which specific images and videos you want apps to be allowed to access. So, apps will not get to sneakily snatch up your media without your knowledge.
The second Android 14 preview also brings forth enhancements to system performance and battery life. Specifically, optimizations in Android's memory management system have been made to prevent applications from consuming excessive resources while being idle. We anticipate the Android 14 beta for Google devices to be here by April, and you can expect the final version to be publicly released around August 2023.
Android 14 will come to many Galaxy phones and tablets accompanied by a new version of Samsung One UI, possibly just a month or two after its vanilla version is released by Google. We've compiled a list of Samsung devices that are likely to get Android 14 that you can check out here, though be advised that eligibility for various devices could change as the months go by and after Android 13's successor arrives.
